Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Acts 4:23-24a, 29-31

I feel the Lord wants to preach from Psalm 16 — not this morning — but eventually.

He keeps telling me to wait just before I get ready to prepare a message.

I want to talk about the importance of spending time in the Presence of the Lord.

… and the joy that awaits us there.

Last year Cecelia’s daughter, Rev. Tina Glosson was with us and she talked about the benefits of joy in our life.

Where can wee find that joy?

Well, for sure, it is in God’s presence.

As Psalm 16:11 says: In Your presence is fullness of joy;

But as I talked about last week, God has this way of interrupting.

I feel He will allow me to preach about the joy of being in His presence in the near future.

But, this morning God wants me to talk more about His Presence in times of, what we call, revival.

There is a lot of speculation about what is happening in Wilmore, KY.

I think a historical perspective and some guidance will help us.

Revival in the Bible

First of all, there is no direct reference to what we call revival.

All throughout the Bible there were plenty of times when God moved in a sovereign way amongst a group of people.

Israel didn’t call it “revival.”

David didn’t call it “revival.”

Neither did Josiah or Jehoshaphat

It is interesting that Asbury has changed its nomenclature: they call what has been happening an “outpouring” — the Asbury Outpouring.

Whatever you call it: revival, outpouring, awakening, there is plenty of precedent in the Bible.

Think about just the Book of Acts:

Recall to mind all the sovereign moves of God amongst groups of people after the Ascension of Jesus to the Father’s right hand.

The Day of Pentecost

The healing of the man born lame

The move of the Spirit on the grouped gathered to hear the report of Peter and John after they were released from jail and from being grilled by the Sanhedren

The Samaritan revival

The Joppa revival after Tabitha was raised from the dead

The revival in Cornelius’ house in Caesarea

The revival in Antioch, Syria.

The revival in Antioch, Pisidia

The revival in Ephesus

The healing revival in Malta

Just to name a few

Since the Holy Spirit had these revivals recorded for us to read and study, we must be able to learn some things that can be applied to our day.

To Asbury University, to Lee University, Samford University and wherever else there is an outbreak of revival.

And by the way, if you were thinking of traveling to Wilmore, Asbury has decided to end public services after the Wednesday 2 pm service.

Revivals in the Recent Past

As we think about these recent outpourings, I think about things I’ve seen in my almost 35 years of pastoring.

Wednesday night I was discussing some of those things with the Wilcoxes and the Wagners who also have witnessed things in the not so distant past.

We have seen mighty moves of God with people’s lives not just temporarily touched but permanently transformed.

We have seen miraculous healings, staggering deliverances, emotional healings.

At the same time we have seen the crazy, the absurd, and the awful.

Now all magnified a thousand times due to social media.

I mean think about it, the Chinese spyware TikTok is being used to spread news of the outpouring.

It must be driving the spymasters crazy!

Pray that God will deliver them from atheism and that they will be saved.

This past Tuesday I asked the other ministers what they thought of the Asbury Outpouring.

So that you don’t think ill of him, one of the pastors said:

“We don’t do revival.

That’s your tradition.

It’s nothing short of miraculous to have somebody raise their hand or say “Amen” during the sermon.”

Wow!

Talk about “frozen chosen!”

To not even desire a special move of God or a special sense of His Presence is pretty unthinkable to me.

And then you’ve got the Southern Baptists who schedule revivals every spring and fall.

Well, they schedule meetings — not the same thing.

And you’ve got us Pentecostals and Charismatics who are looking for a supernatural sign from God in every life event, in every object.

But at least we’re looking.

At least we know the truth of what Jesus said in:

Matthew 5:6 (LSB) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Matthew 7:7–11 (AMP) Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?

11 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!

We also know that we live in a supernatural world.

The devil has counterfeits.

For that reason we obey: 1 Thessalonians 5:19–21 (LSB) Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophecies, 21 but examine all things; hold fast to that which is good;

Revival Standards

As we hear about and see things that are happening around us let’s think about a few things:

Rather than focus on specific revivals, let me share with you what a couple of learned people had to say about revival.

First let start with the Great Awakening in the 1700s.

Jonathan Edwards was used mightily by God in that sovereign move of God that had such and impact of this nation.

He said: [There are…] five marks whereby a work of the Spirit of God may be distinguished.

1.

It should convince men of Christ and lead them to Him in the assurance that He is the Son of God, sent to save sinners.

2. It should operate against the interests of Satan’s kingdom, causing men to forsake sin and to set their affections on the things that are above.

3. It should lead men to a greater regard for the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God.

4. It should awaken the ability to discern spiritually between truth and error, light and darkness.

5.

It should manifest a spirit of love, both to God and to one’s fellow men.

Although there had been some excesses in the course of the revival in New England, these five distinguishing marks of the work of the Spirit of God were clearly present, so that Edwards was able to conclude that what had taken place was “undoubtedly, in general, from the Spirit of God.”

At the same time Edwards confesses: “some … of the gatherings at this time were marked by confusion and irregularity.”

Even in the midst of confusion and irregularities God did a great work.

The necessity for humility is indicated by the fact that “God in this work has begun at the lower end, and he has made use of the weak and foolish things of the world to carry it on.”

Some of the ministers chiefly employed were “mere babes in age and standing” and of little repute among their fellow ministers.

Their weakness served to magnify the power and grace of God.

Cold criticism of the human instruments used in this work and of the undesirable excesses which may be shown by those whose frail frames are visited by overwhelming and transforming experiences at such a time of revival springs from injured pride and from a failure to take the Holy Scriptures as the “sufficient and whole rule whereby to judge of this work.”

Edwards observes significantly that “censuring others is the worst disease with which this affair has been attended.”

… Edwards describes how there was at the time of which he is speaking “a very uncommon influence upon the minds of a very great part of the inhabitants of New England, attended with the best effects.”

Problems of juvenile delinquency and unruliness … were largely solved:

Before the Awakening, “In vain did ministers preach against those things before, in vain were laws made to restrain them, and in vain was all the vigilance of magistrates and civil officers; but now they have almost everywhere dropt them, as it were of themselves.”

It was also noticeable that in the greatest part of New England, the Bible was “in much greater esteem and use than before”; that the Lord’s day was “more religiously and strictly observed”; and that in a couple of years more was done in “making up differences, confessing faults one to another, and making restitution … than was done in thirty years before.”

Large numbers were brought to “a deep sense of their own sinfulness and vileness,” and to a realization of “how unworthy in God’s regard were their prayers, praises, and all that they did in religion.”

So, what can we glean from Edwards’ experiences?

And then about 15 years ago, our General Superintendent at the time, Dr. George Wood, wrote a guide to revival that is still relevant today.

He encouraged us by saying”

The Assemblies of God is irrevocably committed to the inspiration of Scripture, that the Bible provides the assessment tools needed for evaluating doctrine and experience, and is deeply hungry for the continued filling and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Our former general superintendent, Thomas F. Zimmerman, once compared the Holy Spirit to a mighty river, and the Scriptures to the banks of that river.

Brother Zimmerman said that great harm occurs when the river overruns the banks, but that the river does great good when it stays within the banks.

Thus, it is well for us to look at the safeguards the Bible provides in helping us “test everything.”